ASUS, a gaming brand famous for its series of laptops, computer components and also various gaming accessories also presents a variety of very interesting gaming hardware.
Recently, we were given the opportunity to test one of their latest game controllers, the ASUS ROG Raikiri Pro which was introduced for those who want a gaming experience with a premium category game controller.
Design And Specifications
Basically, the ASUS ROG Raikiri Pro controller comes with a design that closely resembles the Xbox controller but with some differences that give the Raikiri Pro a unique look and functionality.
In terms of button layout, not much is different from the Xbox controller, but it comes with four additional buttons on the back, and two additional switches that can change the depth of the LT and RT trigger buttons to allow them to come with shallow or deeper trigger pressure .
Another addition shown on the ROG Raikiri Pro compared to other gaming controllers is a small OLED screen display that can be used to show battery life and patterns that can be added to make this controller more interesting.
I can honestly say that apart from looking at the battery life, the OLED panel does not provide any improvement to this controller. Maybe if this controller can be connected to several computer devices or consoles at once, its usefulness will increase a little, but unfortunately this function is not present on this controller, so its functionality is quite limited.
Yes, some settings can also be changed directly through this OLED display, but in my opinion it's easier to do it through the Armory Crate software than with this display.
I also have a bit of an issue with the ABYX button pattern used on this controller. At the selling price, I would have expected that these buttons would at least come with a more iconic design and have backlighting. To me, the design of this ABYX button looks like it is about to fade from being used for a long time.
One aspect I like about the Raikiri Pro controller is the two-tone surface used. The top surface is smooth and very comfortable to hold, while on the back, the rough texture ensures that it doesn't slip and slip out of your hand during long hours of gaming sessions.
User Experience
Starting with the experience of using the Raikiri Pro for the first time, I expected that the installation of this controller could be done easily directly. Unfortunately this is only true if you use a USB Type-C cable connection, and if you want to install it using a Bluetooth connection or a WiFi adapter, you need to install the Armory Crate software first.
However, once the connection is established, the Raikiri Pro works as a very comfortable controller and has very low input latency. I used this controller with computer games such as Granblue Fantasy Relink and platformer games such as Cuphead and found that there were no latency issues regardless of the type of connection used, be it Bluetooth, WiFi or a wired connection.
Speaking of wired connection, the 3.5mm audio plug function on this controller can only be activated when you connect the Raikiri Pro to a computer or console with a USB Type-C cable. This is a little strange to me because other controllers like the Sony DualSense, even the DualShock 4 can connect console/PC audio to the controller via a Bluetooth connection.
The controller also has four different profile options that you can customize through the Armory Crate software. You can change the button settings and even the sensitivity of the trigger button activation if you want.
You can also change the Raikiri Pro profile and also show other settings through the built-in OLED display, but honestly as I said before, for me, I only use this OLED display to show the battery life.
Talking about the battery, the battery life of the ROG Raikiri Pro is estimated to be around 13 hours when played continuously using a Bluetooth or WiFi connection and with RGB lighting installed.
The battery life will increase to around 30 hours when the lighting system is not in use, so if you are lazy to charge your controller, ROG Raikiri Pro is the best wireless gaming controller for you.
My experience using the ROG Raikiri Pro as an average wireless gaming controller has been excellent. The connection to the computer is very fast regardless of whether you use a Bluetooth or WiFi connection.
To save battery more efficiently, you can set this controller to turn off after a minute or two after it's not in use. It can also be charged relatively quickly using a USB Type-C cable connected to a computer or charger easily.
What's In The Box
Here's what's on offer inside the ASUS ROG Raikiri Pro gaming console box
1x ASUS ROG Raikiri Pro
1x USB Type-C Charging Cable
1x WiFi connection adapter
Closing
There is no doubt that the ASUS ROG Raikiri Pro has several features and advantages that make it a premium video game controller. However, out of these various features, there are only two or three features that I would say are something that I will use every time I use this controller.
The comfortable grip, easily accessible buttons, long battery life and fast connection to the computer are great features, but they also have their issues.
One feature that I still find very strange is that the built-in 3.5mm audio jack can only be used when the controller is in wired mode. The DualShock 4 and DualSense game controllers can already do this in wireless connection mode without a problem.
At the asking price, which is RM698, it's a bit hard for me to recommend this controller when you have other options like the Sony DualSense Edge and even the Xbox Elite Wireless 2 that come with more useful and usable features.
Pros:
Beautiful design
The trigger button is adjustable
Fast wireless connection
No latency on input
Long battery life
Cons:
Expensive price tag
A rare OLED display
The 3.5mm audio plug can only be used in cable connection mode
Disappointing button pattern